Immigrants and the North Shore Labour Market Many North Shore employers are challenged to find the skilled workers they need. Looming skills shortages and specialized job requirements have led many to extensive local, provincial and national searches for the right staff and the right fit. Some employers are frequently turning their sights toward recruiting overseas. However, in B.C. we see the arrival of approximately 35,000 immigrants each year; 2,100 of those choose the North Shore as their home. Many of these immigrants are highly educated and experienced professionals struggling to find meaningful employment. The following pages provide a snapshot of who is immigrating to the North Shore, an overview of the employment integration issues faced by both employers and immigrant job seekers, and a list of immigration and employment services and programs that are in place to meet the needs of employers and assist immigrants in their path to employment. Who Is Immigrating To The North Shore? In the last census period (2006 2011) 10,425 immigrants arrived in the North Shore more than 2000 per year. The following, taken from Census 2011 data, gives you a sense of who has chosen the North Shore as their new home. In 2013, Canada welcomed 258,953 NEW IMMIGRANTS 148,000 of these came as Skilled Workers and Business Class immigrants. 36,210 immigrant chose BC as their new home and almost 20,000 of those were skilled and business class. North Vancouver, City 48,196 17,760 or 37.2% North Vancouver, city AVERAGE INCOME: United States Iran South Korea Philippines $62,354 $55,752 $53,309 Canadian-Born Immigrants Recent Immigrants IMMIGRANT s LEVELS OF EDUCATION Trades certificate 9.3% College 15.4% University Diploma 10.7% Bachelor s degree 26.9% Bachelor s degree + 17.3% TOP NON-OFFICIAL Languages Spoken at Home: Tagalog Arabic February 2015 I Page 1
North Vancouver, DISTRICT 84,412 24,970 or 29.9% North Vancouver, DISTRICT AVERAGE INCOME: Iran china South Korea Philippines $81,575 $78,678 $57,078 Canadian-Born Immigrants Recent Immigrants IMMIGRANT s LEVELS OF EDUCATION: TOP NON- OFFICIAL Languages Spoken at Home: Tagalog Chinese Trades certificate 5.8% College 16.9% University Diploma 11.2% Bachelor s degree 27.2% Bachelor s degree + 21.1% WEST Vancouver, DISTRICT 42,694 17,125 or 40.7% United States Iran china South Korea WEST Vancouver, DISTRICT AVERAGE INCOME: $143,009 $146,768 $90,272 Canadian-Born Immigrants Recent Immigrants IMMIGRANT s LEVELS OF EDUCATION: TOP NON- OFFICIAL Languages Spoken at Home: Chinese Thai Trades certificate 3.7% College 11.9% University Diploma 9.5% Bachelor s degree 32.9% Bachelor s degree + 27.2% 2014 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/ publications/annual-report-2014/index.asp Community Immigrant Demographic Profiles - http://newtobc.ca/settlement/demographics/ February 2015 I Page 2
Why are immigrants important for BC? BC s population is aging and the number of new entrants to the labour market is decreasing. Of 221 countries, Canada is ranked as having the 186th lowest birth rate. This is lower than the birth rates of China, the US, Australia and the UK. Migration is expected to become an increasingly important means to address BC s anticipated labour market shortages. It is expected that one third of all projected job openings will be filled by migrants. By 2022, OVER ONE MILLION job openings are expected across BC, including 641,500 in the Mainland/ Southwest region. British Columbia 2022 Labour Market Outlook - http:// www.workbc.ca/workbc/ files/5f/5fc26f16-3c0f-4884- ab99-b475ca7448b7.pdf Index Mundi - http://www. indexmundi.com/ WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED WORKERS? Employers face challenges when trying to hire immigrants. At the same time, immigrants face challenges in gaining employment commensurate to their education and experience. Below is an overview of the most common barriers. EMPLOYERS OFTEN: Have a preference or requirement for Canadian work experience Lack familiarity with international credentials and experience Have concerns about language proficiency and lack of awareness about Canadian technical terminology and idioms Have concerns about lack of understanding of Canadian culture and business norms Lack knowledge about and access to skilled immigrant talent IMMIGRANTS OFTEN: Have challenges in meeting Canadian work experience and requirements Have challenges getting their international education, training and experience recognized Lack occupation-specific terminology in English or French Lack professional networks Have insufficient information about employment opportunities and requirements Have challenges finding or accessing targeted training programs to bridge gaps in qualifications February 2015 I Page 3
WHY DOES HIRING IMMIGRANTS MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE? Canada receives many immigrants with high levels of education and international work experience, and while skilled immigrants comprise a significant and increasing proportion of the labour market, they continue to be underutilized. Having a diverse workforce can enhance your business, make you an employer of choice, and contribute to attracting and retaining the best talent. Skilled immigrants can: 1 Increase understanding of and access to local markets that are increasingly diverse and multicultural 2 Increase understanding of and access to international markets for operations and sales opportunities 3 Bring new ideas and perspectives that enhance innovation 4 Bring enthusiasm, a strong work ethic, and new perspectives to business problems hireimmigrants.ca http://www.hireimmigrants. ca/why-hire/ DID YOU KNOW? Recent immigrants arriving to the North Shore are more and more highly educated. The percentage of immigrants with a Bachelor s Degree or higher is greater among those who arrived between 2006-2011. Approximately 95% of immigrants obtaining job-search assistance on the North Shore are professionals. AS AN EMPLOYER, WHAT IMMIGRATION PROGRAMS CAN I ACCESS TO HIRE WORKERS? Citizenship and Immigration Canada has made several changes to Canada s immigration system so that it is more responsive to emerging economic and labour market needs. These changes will impact who will be coming to Canada as immigrants they will be younger, and have higher levels of education and better English language skills. Employers will also play a more direct role in selecting economic immigrants to meet specific labour market needs. The following immigration programs are available for employers who are interested in hiring internationally trained workers: Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades Programs Allows employers to hire skilled foreign workers to meet labour needs if they are unable to find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill a permanent position. Canadian Experience Class and BC Provincial Nominee Program Allows employers to hire foreign workers with at least 12 months of continuous full-time skilled work experience in Canada. Temporary Foreign Worker Program - Allows employers to hire foreign workers already in Canada or from abroad to fill short-term labour and skill shortages when no Canadians are available to do the job. Requires a Labour Market Impact Assessment. International Mobility Program Allows employers to hire individuals such as international students who have graduated from a Canadian school, permanent resident applicants, spouses of highly-skilled foreign workers, and others. Does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment. February 2015 I Page 4
DID YOU KNOW? The federal government recently launched an electronic system called Express Entry to manage applications in the following economic immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class. The Government of BC also launched a parallel stream called Express Entry BC. Both Express Entry and Express Entry BC provide fast-tracking of permanent residence for eligible applicants and allow employers to have a direct role in selecting economic immigrants. Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Hire an Internationally Trained Worker http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/hire/index.asp WelcomeBC: For BC Employers http://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate/about-the-bc-pnp/ For-Employers.aspx To learn more about local immigrant talent, contact : The North Shore WorkBC Program Tim Blake, Manager of Employment Services North Shore Multicultural Society 207-123 East 15th St., North Vancouver 604-988-2931 / timb@nsms.ca Skills Connect for Immigrants Program Libo Kong, Career Strategist Training Innovations 604-998-4051 / skillsconnect@training-innovations.com February 2015 I Page 5